ASPT Newsletter

Return to Contents

IN MEMORIAM

Robert Ornduff 1931 — 2000. Botanist Robert Ornduff, an expert on California plants and former director of the University of California, Berkeley's Botanical Garden, died 22 September 2000 at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley from complications of metastatic melanoma. Ornduff, a professor emeritus of integrative biology at UC Berkeley, was 68.

Ornduff was a field biologist who concentrated on California native plants as well as plants that grow in similar Mediterranean climates, such as in South Africa and Western Australia. His book, Introduction to California Plant Life (UC Press, 1974), is still in print and is a popular layman's field guide to one of the most varied floras in the world. He also was a longtime member of the California Native Plant Society and served as editorial advisor for its publication, Fremontia, for 27 years.

"Bob was a very, very caring person and a great teacher who deeply loved and appreciated plants," said Peter Raven, his friend for the past 45 years and director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, an organization dedicated to the study and conservation of the floras of the New World. "This came through in one of his biggest contributions, which was turning the UC Botanical Garden into a world-class garden and a leading place for studying and displaying the unique variety of California plants."

Ornduff directed the garden from 1973 until 1991, expanding its plant collection to include specimens from areas like South Africa and Chile that have similar Mediterranean climates. He was particularly proud of the docent program he instituted while there, said Phyllis Faber, co-editor with Ornduff of the Natural History Series at University of California Press. During his 48-year career, Ornduff wrote more than 100 scientific papers and 50 other papers on horticultural and related topics. His interests ranged from the giant sequoias of the Sierra Nevada to the small but showy yellow flower called goldfields that carpet California's Central Valley in the spring.

"Bob was one of the treasures of the botanical world," said Arthur Kruckeberg, professor emeritus of botany at the University of Washington, Seattle, and one of Ornduff's mentors. "He was a green-thumb botanist who delighted in growing plants and disseminating his interest to the general public." Among his abiding interests, however, were the unusual reproductive strategies of plants and how they evolved. After encountering early in his career a peculiar fall-blooming California plant called Jepsonia, he got interested in heterostyly, a peculiarity of some plants where a single species develops two or three different types of flowers that encourage outcrossing and discourage self-pollination. He also was fascinated by the plants that evolved to inhabit small islands — essentially rocks frequented by birds — that he referred to as guano islands, Kruckeberg said.

Born in Portland, Oregon, on 13 June 1932, Ornduff attended Reed College, graduating in 1953 with a B.A. in biology. As a Fulbright Scholar, he spent the next year in New Zealand, where he collected material for his thesis. He completed his M.Sc. at the University of Washington in 1956 and his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley in 1961. After a year teaching biology at Reed College and a year at Duke University, he returned to UC Berkeley in 1963 to assume the faculty position of his retiring major professor, Herbert Mason. Ornduff retired in 1993. As a botany professor, he instituted a popular course on California flora that he taught for 30 years. The notes and experiences teaching this course resulted in his book on California's plant life. He also wrote two chapters for a recent book, California's Wild Gardens: A Living Legacy, edited by Faber and published by the California Native Plant Society. His other positions while at UC Berkeley included curator of seed plants and, eventually, director from 1967 to 1982 of the University Herbarium; director of the Jepson Herbarium, a repository for California plants, from 1968 to 1982; chair of the Department of Botany from 1986 until 1989, when the department was reorganized into the Department of Integrative Biology; and executive director of the Miller Institute at UC Berkeley from 1984 to 1987.

Ornduff was involved with many botanical and plant conservation organizations. In addition to being a fellow of the California Native Plant Society, at the time of his death he was a member of the board of councilors of the Save-the-Redwoods League, the board of directors of the Pacific Horticultural Foundation and the board of trustees of the Center for Plant Conservation, a national organization dedicated to preserving rare and endangered plants of the United States. He also served as president of the California Botanical Society during 1981-82, and was a long-time trustee of UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.

For the past eight years, he was grants director of The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust, which funds research and education in horticulture. Ornduff redirected the trust's grants towards small gardens and publication projects both in the United States and abroad. He also served as president of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists in 1975 and chaired the editorial committee of UC Press from 1975 to 1989. Among his honors were an Award of Merit from the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta (1993), a Merit Award from the Botanical Society of America (1993), and the F. Owen Pearce Award of Horticulture from the Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco (1994). Ornduff, a resident of Berkeley, is survived by a sister, Anne Vial, of Lake Oswego, Oregon. — Bob Sanders, Senior Science Writer, University of California.

Patrick E. Elvander 1950 — 1998. Patrick Edward Elvander, a dedicated, respected teacher of systematic botany and authority on western North American Saxifragaceae, died unexpectedly on 5 October 1998. He was 48 years of age.

As an undergraduate at Pomona College, Patrick won the Vaile Prize in Botany, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated cum laude (1972). He immediately began graduate work at the University of Washington, earning an M.S. (1975) and becoming the first student to complete a Ph.D. (1979) under the direction of Melinda F. Denton. Those of us who followed as Melinda's students remember Patrick fondly for the frequent twinkle in his eye, his mischievous grin, his love of botanizing (despite a limp resulting from childhood polio), and most of all his strong desire to lead a rich, varied, and well-integrated life. While he clearly strove for excellence in his research, Pat would frequently remind us that there was more to life than graduate school. While the rest of went where the jobs were and ended up, eventually, back east, Patrick held out for a locale that suited him and found a happy professional situation as well. In 1980 he joined the faculty of the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) as a lecturer in biology, a position he held until his death.

At UCSC Patrick taught a wide variety of courses, ranging from Introductory Biology to Biology of Fungi to Systematic Botany. His colleagues described him as an "extremely knowledgeable," "enthusiastic," "most articulate," and "especially well-liked" instructor; "with a musical command of the language," "who inspired and motivated many students to study plants." His students found him "very approachable," "willing to listen," and able to give them his "undivided attention." Patrick was especially active in campus life, serving as an Academic Preceptor at Crown College for 10 years, taking leadership positions in the campus chapters of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi, and giving public lectures at the UCSC Farm and Garden and the UCSC Arboretum.

Patrick reported his graduate research in three publications, including a revision of Saxifraga sect. Boraphila in the newly fledged Systematic Botany Monographs (vol. 3, 1984). He produced several treatments of North American Saxifragaceae, including a revision for the Jepson Manual (1993) and Vascular Plants of Arizona. He died while a treatment for Flora North America was in progress.

Patrick was a talented vocalist — as proud of his choral résumé as he was of his curriculum vitae. At Pomona he sang in the College Choir and Men's Glee Club. In Seattle he joined the University of Washington Concert Choir, the Seattle Symphony Chorale and Chamber Chorus, and the Seattle Men's Chorus. He sang in the bass section of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus for 15 years. He especially enjoyed travelling to perform in a variety of locales in North America, Europe, and Australia.

Patrick's life partner, brothers, colleagues, students, and friends held a memorial celebration of his life in February, 1999 at Crown College on the UCSC campus. UCSC has established a memorial fund in Patrick's name to support undergraduate instruction in the plant sciences and the establishment of the Patrick Elvander Taxonomy Trail at the UCSC arboretum. UCSC students are currently participating in development of the self-guided trail, which has a target completion date of spring 2001. Contributions may be made in care of: UCSC Foundation, Elvander Memorial Fund, Carriage House, 1156 High Street, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064. — Mark A. Schlessman.

Bernice Giduz Schubert 1913-2000. Bernice died in her sleep at the Brookhaven Nursing Home on 14 August 2000. Her health had been in decline for several years. As a colleague and friend for 60 years, we have known a remarkable woman and botanist.

Dr. Schubert's career had four phases. After graduation from Massachusetts Agricultural College (now the University of Massachusetts at Amherst), she entered the graduate program of Radcliffe College for A.M. (1937) and Ph.D. (1941) degrees. Her thesis was on the genus Desmodium (Leguminosae). She was employed as a technical assistant at the Gray Herbarium assisting Professor M. L. Fernald between 1941 and 1949. Among her contributions were a trip to Europe (1946-1947) to photograph types of American plants in European herbaria. The more than 800 photos she made were used in 60 plates accompanying Fernald's articles in Rhodora and the Contributions from the Gray Herbarium. Dr. Schubert did all the darkroom work and assembled the plates. She helped edit Fernald and Kinsey's Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America and then the eighth edition of Gray's Manual of Botany. Fernald's acknowledgement of her assistance in the completion of the manual is significant. The manual was published in July of 1950, and Fernald died in September. Also noteworthy in this period was her publication of a study of Begonia with Lyman Smith. This began a collaboration of scholars with this genus that continued until 1985.

The second phase of Bernice's career was the receipt of a Guggenheim Fellowship to continue her studies of Desmodium in European herbaria. Upon completion, she became a botanical consultant for one year at the Jardin Botanique de l'État in Brussels, Belgium, working on the Leguminosae for the floras of the Belgian Congo and Ruanda Urundi.

Phase three began when Bernice found a position with the Plant Introduction Station, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland. She was assigned work on the genus Dioscorea of North and Central America and worked in collaboration with chemists from the National Institutes of Health searching for plants with alkaloids potentially useful in treating high blood pressure. For plant samples, Dr. Schubert collected in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, and Brazil. A summary publication of this research was Alkaloid-bearing Plants and their Contained Alkaloids, USDA Technical Bulletin 1234, issued in 1961 and co-authored with J. J. Willaman.

In the fall of 1962, Dr. Schubert accepted an appointment to the staff of the Arnold Arboretum, becoming emerita in 1983 but continuing her studies of Begonia, Desmodium, and Dioscorea. As an Associate Curator and later Curator and Senior Lecturer, Bernice edited the Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. Number 3 of Volume 65 was dedicated by the staff in honor of her 70th birthday and her retirement.

Dr. Schubert was honored for her work on Begonia with the Eva Kenworthy Gray Award of the American Begonia Society and by a Silver Medal of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. She was an honorary member of the Sociedad Botânica de México, and honorary Vice President of the III Congreso Latinoamericana and II Nacional Congreso (Peruan) de Botánica, in Lima, Peru.

She was a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, the Société Royale de Botanique Belgique, A.E.T.F.A.T. (Association pour l'Étude Taxonomique de la Flore d'Afrique Tropicale), the Washington Academy of Sciences, the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, the International Association for Plant Taxonomy, the American Institute of Biological Sciences, the Botanical Society of America, the Association of Tropical Biologists, and the new England Botanical Club. She also served on the Council of the Society of Economic Botany, and as secretary of the Standing Committee on Stabilization and the Committee on Nomina Ambigua, both of the IAPT, and the Committee on the Desmodieae for the International Legume Conference held at Kew in 1978.

A full listing of Dr. Schubert's 94 publications will be given in Taxon. It is worth noting that she published 29 papers on Begonia, 19 on Desmodium, 12 on steroids, 11 on Dioscorea, 7 obituary notices, 13 on miscellaneous subjects, and 6 on other publications or book reviews.

Her ashes will be buried in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, where Asa Gray, Sereno Watson, Merritt Fernald, Oakes Ames, Charles Schweinfruth, Reed Rollins, and other former Harvard botanists are interred. — Richard A. Howard.

Return to Contents

PEOPLE

Rodger C. Evans is now an assistant professor in the Biology Department at Acadia University, Wolfville, Canada. He was previously a post-doctoral researcher with Christopher Campbell at the University of Maine (Orono). His research focuses on molecular systematics with low-copy number nuclear genes, and phylogeny reconstruction with molecular, nonmolecular, and ontogenetic data sets. These data are used to infer relationships and evolution within the Rosaceae and Vaccinium, with particular interest in ovary and ovule evolution. Rodger's new address is: Acadia University, Department of Biology, Wolfville, NS Canada B0P 1X0. Phone: 902 585-1710; fax: 902 585-1089; e-mail: <rodger.evans@acadiau.ca>; Web page <http://ace.acadiau.ca/science/biol/Evans/rodgeracadia.htm>.

Fabian Michelangeli has moved from Cornell University to New York City as the new Cullman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History and the New York Botanical Garden. Fabian will continue his work on ant-plant interactions in Tococa (Melastomataceae), as well as addressing other questions on the evolution of myrmecophytism in the Neotropics. His new address is: Fabian A. Michelangeli, Department of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street New York, NY 10024. Phone: 212 313-7784; e-mail: <fabian@amnh.org>.

Carolyn J. Ferguson is now at Kansas State University where she is Assistant Professor and Curator of the Herbarium (KSC). She was previously a postdoctoral researcher with Barbara Schaal at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research focuses on systematics and evolution of Phlox (Polemoniaceae) with particular interests in hybridization and geographic relations. Carolyn's new address is: Division of Biology, Ackert Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506. Phone: 785 532-3166; fax: 785 532-6653; e-mail: <ferg@ksu.edu>. The URL for the herbarium is <http://www.konza.ksu.edu/herbarium>.

Mark H. Mayfield has moved to Kansas State University where he is a Research Assistant Professor. Mark was most recently at Louisiana State University where he was Collections Manager of the herbarium (LSU). He continues his research on New World Euphorbiaceae and general floristics. His new address is: Division of Biology, Ackert Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506. Phone: 785 532-2795; fax: 785 532-6653; e-mail: <markherb@ksu.edu>. The URL for the herbarium is <http://www.konza.ksu.edu/herbarium>.

Eric H. Roalson is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian's Laboratory of Molecular Systematics studying floral evolution in the Gesneriaceae under the direction of Liz Zimmer and Larry Skog. Prior to this appointment (2000), he earned his Ph.D. from the Claremont Graduate University and Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden studing molecular systematics and chromosome evolution in Carex (Cyperaceae) under the advisment of Travis Columbus. His new address is: Laboratory of Molecular Systematics, National Museum of Natural History, Museum Support Center, MSC, MRC534, Smithsonian Institution, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746. Phone: 301 238-3444, ext. 113; fax: 301 238-3059; e-mail: <eroalson@lms.si.edu>.

The year 2000 recipient of the Timothy C. Plowman Latin American Research Award, presented by the Department of Botany of the Field Museum, was Maria Iracema Bezerra Loiola of the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil. Her project was entitled "Taxonomic Revision of Erythroxylum sect. Rhabdophyllum (Erythroxylaceae)." Ms. Loiola used her award to visit the Herbarium of the Field Museum from 11 May to 2 June 2000. During this time, she reviewed our holdings of Erythroxylum, identified undetermined material, selected a loan for further study, and reviewed literature and unpublished work of the late Dr. Timothy Plowman.

Mark S. Brunell is now an Assistant Professor at Southwestern Missouri State University. He was previously at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. His research interests continue in the hybridization in Sabal palms, and on conservation genetics of the Texas Prairie Dawn, Hymenoxys texana (Asteraceae). He is also curator of the Ozarks Regional Herbarium, founded by Paul Redfearn (who is still coming in regularly). Mark's new address is Mark S. Brunell, Department of Biology, Southwest Missouri State University, 901 South National Avenue, Springfield, MO 65804. Phone: 417 836-6189; e-mail: <mab843f@smsu.edu>; Web page: <http://biology.smsu.edu/faculty/brunell/default.htm>.

Diane M. Ferguson is now Collections Manager at the Louisiana State University Herbarium (LSU). Prior to this appointment she spent two years as a postdoctoral research associate in Tao Sang's lab at Michigan State University studying molecular evolution in peony hybrids. She earned her Ph.D. in 1998 from Harvard University where she studied with Michael J. Donoghue (now at Yale University). Her research continues on the New World flora, systematics of Hydrophyllaceae and Boraginaceae, and molecular and theoretical phylo-genetics. Her new address is: Department of Biological Sciences, 508 Life Sciences Building, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. Phone: 225 388-8564; fax: 225 388-2597; e-mail: <dfergu1@lsu.edu>. The Web site for the herbarium is <http://www. biology.lsu.edu/facilities/herbarium/index.htm>.

Anne Katherine Hansen at the University of Texas at Austin is the recipient of the 2000 Lawrence Memorial Award. A student of Professor Robert K. Jansen, Ms. Hansen has undertaken a study of the genus Passiflora with a special emphasis on the large group of species with a basic chromosome number of 9. She will use the proceeds of the award for travel in Brazil for field research. Commemorating Dr. George H. M. Lawrence, founding Director of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University, the annual award of $1,000 is made to an outstanding doctoral candidate for travel in support of dissertation research in systematic botany or horticulture or the history of the plant sciences, including literature and exploration.

Jun Wen, formerly at Colorado State University, recently moved to the Field Museum of Natural History as an associate curator. She will continue her research on the systematics of the ginseng family and the evolution of intercontinental disjunct plants in the northern hemisphere. Her new address is: Department of Botany, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605. Phone: 312 665-7853; fax: 312 665-7158; e-mail: <jwen@fmnh.org>. The URL for the Department is <http://www.fmnh.org/research_ collections/botany/>.

Wendy B. Zomlefer is now Curator of the Herbarium in the Botany Department at the University of Georgia. Prior to this appointment she spent four years as a post-doctoral associate at the University of Florida working with Walter S. Judd, Norton G. Miller, and Carroll E. Wood, Jr. on the Generic Flora of the Southeastern United States. Her research focus continues to be the flora of the southeast and the phylogenetics of the liloiod monocots, particularly the Melanthiaceae. Her new address is: Botany Department, University of Georgia, 2502 Plant Sciences, Athens, GA 30602. Phone: 706-583-0389 (office), 706-542-1823 (herbarium); fax: 706-542-1805; e-mail: <wendyz@dogwood.botany.uga.edu> or <ugaherb@dogwood.botany.uga.edu>. The URL for the Herbarium is <http://www.botany.uga.edu/herbarium/index.html>.

Return to Contents

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Persons in the job market should consult the Newsletter/ Current News section of the ASPT homepage <http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/ASPT/current.html> for detailed descriptions. Below are very abbreviated listings of job notices that have appeared on that source; complete information needed for applications is not included here. For many positions, the deadlines have passed and the positions may be filled. The listing here is primarily for readers who might be interested in which organizations have had openings in the general area of plant system- atics. The date the positions were posted is in square brackets [day/month/year].

Plant Molecular Systematics and Curator, Colorado State University: Assistant Professor and Curator, Department of Biology, Colorado State University. This tenure-track position involves undergraduate and graduate teaching and supervised research (approximately 20 percent), research (approximately 40 percent), and service/outreach including curatorial responsibilities (approximately 40 percent). QUALIFICATIONS: A Ph.D. in botany, evolutionary biology or a related area is required and postdoctoral experience is strongly preferred. Candidates should have a solid background in evolutionary biology, experience in herbarium curation, potential for independent and innovative research and teaching, and an ability to contribute to interdisciplinary programs on campus. SALARY: Commensurate with education and experience. POSITION AVAILABLE: Fall semester, 2001 To apply, send a letter of application with a statement of your teaching and research interests, a curriculum vitae, and no more than three publications; also arrange to have letters sent from at least three persons who will serve as references to: Search Committee, Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO 80523. Phone: 970 491-7011; fax 970 491-0649; e-mail: <botteron@ lamar.colostate.edu>. For full consideration, all materials are due by 1 December 2001. [Posted 3 November 2000]

Systematic Botanist/Plant Systematist, University of Kansas: We seek applications for a tenured or tenure track assistant, associate, or full professor and assistant, associate, or full curator. The appointment is nine months in the department and nine+two months in the museum and research center. Salary is commensurate with experience. Required qualifications: 1) Ph.D. in appropriate discipline that provides a strong background in systematics and plant biology; 2) active collection-based research centered on one or more areas of systematic botany; 3) demonstrated commitment to excellence in the development and management of plant systematic research collections and their associated data for research, education, and public service; 4) a commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring at the undergraduate and graduate level; and, 5) ability to teach courses in systematic botany, organismal diversity, and/or general biology. Contact person: Berry Clemens, Administrative Assistant, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Haworth Hall, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045-2106. Phone: 785-864-5889; fax: 785-864-5860; e-mail <bclemens@ukans.edu>. Application materials: 1) curriculum vitae; 2) concise statements of (a) research interests and future directions, (b) teaching philosophy, experience, and interests, to include description(s) of course(s) the applicant hopes to teach, and (c) curatorial and collection management philosophy, experience, and interests; 3) copies of selected publications and/or manuscripts; and, 4) letters of reference from at least three persons to be submitted to Berry Clemens, Administrative Assistant, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Haworth Hall, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045-2106. Phone: 785-864-5889; fax: 785-864-5321; e-mail <bclemens@ukans.edu>. Initial review of applications will begin November 2000 [Posted 3 November 2000]

Plant Molecular Systematics, Washington State University: The School of Biological Sciences invites applications for a tenure-track position in plant systematics at the assistant professor level to start fall 2001. We seek applications from systematists who use molecular phylogenetic approaches to address fundamental problems in plant systematics. Candidates whose research interests include analytical methods, biosystematics, molecular or developmental genetic evolution, monographic approaches, phylogeography, or other core areas of concern in plant systematics are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a vigorous, externally funded research program and teach undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate teaching may include introductory biology or botany. A Ph.D. is required by the start date. Postdoctoral and teaching experience and success in securing grant support are desired. Letter of application, curriculum vitae, state-ments of research and teaching interests, examples of publications, and three letters of reference should be sent to: Larry Hufford, Chair, Plant Molecular Systematics Search Committee, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236. Review of applications will begin 22 December 2000. For more information, visit the School of Biological Sciences homepage at <http://www.sci.wsu.edu/sbs/> or contact Larry Hufford at <hufford@mail.wsu.edu.> [Posted 3 November 2000]

Research Position, Auburn University: The Auburn University Research Instrumentation Facility (AURIF) has an immediate vacancy for a biological researcher. This is a professional job responsible for providing sequencing and DNA research support for the Genomics & Sequencing Laboratory. The primary goal of this position will be to maintain this laboratory at high standards which include, but are not limited to the manufacturing of PCR and cycle sequencing products to reproducibly high-quality standards; producing sequences and fragment data with the aid of a high throughput sequencer; ordering of supplies and maintaining financial documents; and supervising students and researchers in other molecular methods. A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in the biological sciences or a related subject is required. A Master's or Ph.D. degree in the biological sciences is desired, as well as work experience in a molecular biology laboratory. Applicants should have experience with the operation of sequencing equipment and databases, spreadsheets, and e-mail. Candidates should submit a letter of application, resume, curriculum vitae (transcripts), and three letters of reference to: Research Position, Log Number 15690, Human Resources, Langdon Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849. Phone: 334 844-4145; TDD: 334 844-1612; fax: 334 844-1617. Review of applications will begin after 1 December 2000. [Posted 3 November 2000]

Systematics and Evolution of Land Plants, University of Michigan: We seek an individual who works with all groups of land plants and uses all research methods. However, the successful candidate will likely study bryophytes or pteridophytes and will incorporate molecular techniques and data in their research. The successful candidate must be qualified to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in biology and plant evolution and systematics, and must develop an active research program in the systematics and evolution of land plants. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in biology, botany, plant sciences, or a related area, and postdoctoral or comparable experience. In addition to establishing a successful research program, the successful candidate will be expected to participate in undergraduate and graduate teaching programs of the department. See our Web site at <http://www.biology. lsa.umich.edu>. To apply, send a curriculum vitae, copies of reprints, brief summaries of present research and future research plans and teaching interests, and arrange to have three letters of reference sent to: Chair, Department of Biology, University of Michigan, Natural Sciences Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048. Please indicate clearly in the cover letter that your application is for the Systematics and Evolution of Land Plants position. Review of applications will commence 16 October 2000. [Posted 11 October 2000]

Biological Sciences and Education, University of Northern Colorado: The University of Northern Colorado seeks an outstanding scholar for a tenure track position in biological education or in the biological sciences. The position will be filled at the associate professor rank or at the advanced assistant professor rank. Qualifications and Experience: The successful candidate will have an earned doctorate in the biological sciences, biological education, or science education. Preference will be given to candidates with a record of high-quality teaching, a record of sustained publication and grant activity, and demonstrated excellence on research in biology and/or research in the teaching and learning of biology. Position Description: This is a full-time, tenure-track position, #20203. The successful candidate must present evidence of outstanding teaching and scholarship commensurate with their years of experience, the ability to secure external funding to support their scholarly activities, the ability to direct graduate students doing research in teaching and learning, and a strong record of publication. Starting Date: Negotiable. Application: Send complete application packets to: Dr. John C. Moore, Chair, Biology Education Search Committee, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639. A complete application includes a curriculum vitae, selected publications, names and addresses (including phone and e-mail) of at least three to five references, transcripts, statements of U.S. citizenship or U.S. work eligibility, and statements of teaching philosophy and research interests. Review of application materials will begin 15 November 2000 and continue until the position is filled. For additional information contact Dr. Curt M. Peterson, (970) 351-2923, <cmpeter@bentley.unco.edu>.

Plant Taxonomist, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point: The Biology Department offers a tenure-track, nine-month faculty position in Plant Taxonomy, beginning August 2001. Primary responsibilities will be undergraduate teaching (24 credits/year). Teaching includes an upper-level vascular plant taxonomy and related courses for Biology and Natural Resources majors and possibly introductory biology courses. This person will become responsible for curation of the UWSP Vascular Plant Herbarium. Appointment at Assistant Professor of Biology (Instructor if Ph.D. is not completed), salary commensurate with qualifications. Complete applications must include: (1) curriculum vitae, (2) one-page statement of teaching goals and philosophy, (3) three letters submitted by persons familiar with your qualifications and (4) copies of official undergraduate and graduate transcripts. All applications, supporting materials, and correspondence should be addressed to: Plant Taxonomist Position; Attn: Dr. Robert Bell, Chair, Department of Biology, CNR Building, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI 54481-3897 and received by 20 November 2000. For additional information: Phone: 715 346-2074; fax: 715 346-3624; email<rbell@uwsp.edu>. [Posted 9 October 2000]

Aquatic Botanist, University of Saskatchewan: The Department of Biology invites applications for a position at the assistant professor level for a tenure-track position commencing 1 July 2001 in the area of aquatic botany. Applicants should have a Ph.D. and preferably teaching and postdoctoral experience. The successful candidate must have a demonstrated research interest in primary productivity in aquatic systems, and in environmental impacts on prairie and/or northern lakes and wetlands. The candidate will participate in teaching programs of the department, including the algal component of a second-year undergraduate course in lower organisms, as well as develop an upper-level course in their area of expertise. Priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. However, applications are invited from qualified individuals, regardless of their immigration status. Send curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy and research interests, as well as the names, addresses, telephone/fax numbers, and e-mail addresses of at least three references to: Dr. V. K. Sawhney, Head, Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada. Phone: 306-966-4400; fax: 306-966-4461; e-mail <sawhney@ admin.usask.ca>. Applications due 15 November 2000. [Posted 6 October 2000]

Plant Systematic Biology, University of Georgia: The Department of Botany at the University of Georgia has an opening at the assistant professor level in Plant Systematic Biology. We seek an individual with expertise in plant systematics who uses innovative phylogenetic approaches to address fundamental questions in areas such as plant development, molecular evolution, phylogeography, speciation, and the evolution of plant genomes. The successful candidate is expected to develop a vigorous, externally-funded research program and to teach plant systematics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Candidates should submit a curriculum vitae, short statements of research and teaching interests, reprints of up to five research papers, and have four letters of recommendation sent to: Dr. Glenn Galau, Chair, Plant Systematic Biology Search Committee, Department of Botany, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA 30602-7271. Applications received by 3 November 2000 are assured full consideration. [Posted 29 September 2000]

Plant Molecular Systematist, University of South Dakota: The Department of Biology at the University of South Dakota invites applications for a tenure-track position in plant molecular systematics beginning August 2001 (level negotiable). The successful candidate is expected to develop an independent and competitive research program, to participate in the graduate program, and to teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Ph.D. is required and postdoctoral experience preferred. Review of applications will begin 1 November 2000 and will continue until the position is filled. Send C.V., statements of research and teaching interests, and names and addresses of three references to: Dr. Paula Mabee, Chair, Plant Molecular Systematist Search Committee, Department of Biology, 414 East Clark Street, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390. [Posted 27 September 2000]

Collections Specialist, The Field Museum: The Field Museum is searching for a Collections Specialist, Flowering Plants. The successful applicant should possess an M.S. or preferably a Ph.D. in botany or plant systematics, a thorough knowledge of tropical plant families, and experience in plant identification. The Collections Specialist duties are focused on building and maintaining quality flowering plant collections. A basic level of computer word processing, database and data-entry skills is desirable. Send application letter, C.V. and names of three references to: Plant Collections Specialist Search, Department of Botany, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605-2496. E-mail inquiries: <botany@ fmnh.org>. [Posted 21 September 2000

Two Positions at Miami University, Ohio: Applications are invited for two tenure-track assistant professorships, beginning August 2001 on the Oxford, Ohio campus. Ph.D. in botany/closely related discipline and commitment to teacher-scholar excellence are required. Postdoctoral experience is preferred. Candidates will teach introductory/advanced courses, develop a vigorous, extramurally-funded research program, and mentor student research. Plant Developmental Biologist: We seek a botanist using molecular genetic approaches to address fundamental/applied questions on plant organ, tissue, or cell development. Teaching duties include an introductory course in botany/biology, upper division/graduate offerings, and participation in the Graduate Molecular Biology Program. Plant Ecologist: We seek a plant ecologist to establish an active community- or landscape-level program, advise students in field-oriented research, teach an introductory nonmajors course and courses in plant ecology/community sampling methods, participate in interdepartmental graduate ecology courses, and interact with a strong group of ecologists/environmental scientists across the university in curricular initiatives. Applications: send curriculum vitae; teaching statement including experience, interests, and philosophy; statement of research goals; three or fewer reprints/preprints; and three reference letters to: Dr. Roger Meicenheimer, Chair, Plant Development Search or Dr. David Gorchov, Chair, Plant Ecology Search, Department of Botany, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056. Fax 513 529-4243. Screening begins 1 November 2000. [Posted 18 September 2000]

Vascular Plant Systematics, Arizona State University: The Department of Plant Biology invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in the area of plant systematics at the assistant professor level. Preference will be given to candidates applying imaginative approaches, combining molecular techniques with monographic, developmental, evolutionary, and /or morphological studies and who have demonstrated ability to work with an interdisciplinary group of faculty. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a vigorous extramurally funded research program and contribute to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including courses in Arizona flora and the use of molecular techniques. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in biological sciences, postdoctoral experience, evidence of research productivity, and demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching. The position is scheduled to begin 16 August 2001, pending final budgetary approval. Applicants must send a curriculum vitae; statement of research interests and teaching philosophy; and the names, addresses, and e-mail addresses (if possible) of four referees to Chair, Plant Systematics Search Committee, Department of Plant Biology, Arizona State University, Box 871601, Tempe, AZ 85287-1601 by 15 November 2000. [Posted 11 September 2000]

Assistant Professor of Botany, Drury University: Drury University Department of Biology is seeking applications for a tenure-track botanist to teach introductory botany, plant taxonomy, introductory cell biology, and participate in the interdisciplinary general education science curriculum. Candidates must have a Ph.D, a strong commitment to high-quality undergraduate teaching, a commitment to participating in research with undergraduate students, strong field identification skills, and experience in the use of molecular tools in botany. Applications should be sent by 30 October 2000 to: Dr. Barbara Wing, Chair, Department of Biology, Drury University, 900 North Benton Ave., Springfield, MO 65802. Phone: 417 873-7237; fax: 417 873-7278; e-mail: <bwing@drury.edu>. [Posted 5 September 2000]

Return to Contents

FELLOWSHIPS, INTERNSHIPS, POST-DOCS

Nearly all announcements have been edited to conserve space, be sure to obtain complete descriptions before applying. Please see notice at top of "Job Opportunities."

Postdoctoral Position, Virginia Tech: A two-year postdoctoral position is available to study molecular evolution of protein multigene families in grasses and address questions in flowering plant evolution using DNA sequencing. A Ph.D. degree and experience in molecular systematic techniques are required. Preferable starting date is 5 January 2001. Please send a cover letter describing your research interest, curriculum vitae, and names and addresses of three references to: Dr. K. W. Hilu, Department of Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061. For additional information you may call 540 231-5407 or e-mail <hilukw@vt.edu>. [Posted 24 October 2000]

Visiting Scholar, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden: Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden seeks a visiting scholar to augment its graduate program in botany. The person chosen will teach a course, seminar, or work-shop(s) in his or her area of expertise and participate in our active research program in plant evolutionary biology and systematics. The visiting scholar will have an excellent track record in research and enjoy mentoring and collaboration. Duration of the visit will be one semester (possibly longer), starting as early as January 2001. Funds are available via a grant from the Mellon Foundation for remuneration. For additional information, contact Clem Hamilton at 909 625-8767 ext. 220 or <clem.hamilton@cgu.edu>. For consideration please provide a C.V., a letter suggesting possible course/seminar/workshops(s) that may be offered and proposing the research to be conducted while at the Garden, and the names, postal and e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of three references. Send to Ann Joslin, Assistant to the Director, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, California 91711-3157; Web site: <http://www.cgs.edu/inst/rsa/>.

Return to Contents

INSTITUTIONS

Changes at New York Botanical Garden Herbarium

I am pleased to announce that the leadership void Dr. Patricia Holmgren will create when she retires as Director of the Herbarium on September 29, 2000 and returns to full-time research has just been filled. The outcome of an international search resulted in the promotions of two current members of the Herbarium's managerial staff. It is very gratifying, but not at all surprising, to find that the very best people to run the most important herbarium in the world are already working here. This exemplifies the quality of the staff at the Garden generally. The new appointments are as follows:

Director of the Herbarium: Dr. Barbara M. Thiers. Dr. Thiers has been an Associate Director of the Herbarium with particular responsibility for the cryptogamic collection. She has also been a leader of our scientific specimen databasing and imaging initiatives, which are now as good as any in the world, and has very ably represented the NYBG at national and international meetings in these regards. Dr. Thiers has an excellent track record in securing funds from the National Science Foundation in support of the Herbarium and of her own research on hepatics.

Associate Director and Curator of the Herbarium: Dr. Jacquelyn A. Kallunki. Dr. Kallunki has been an Associate Director of the Herbarium with principal responsibility for the phanerogamic collection. She created many of the operational protocols that contribute to our Herbarium being regarded as the best managed large herbarium in the world. Dr. Kallunki also has an excellent track record with obtaining funds from NSF and other agencies to support the Herbarium as well as for her personal research interests in the flora of eastern Brazil and taxonomy of the Rutaceae.

Pat Holmgren can retire knowing that the NYBG Herbarium is passed on to very capable hands. Please join me in congratulating Barbara and Jackie on these important new appointments, which take effect on Friday, September 29, 2000. — Brian M. Boom, Vice President for Botanical Science and Pfizer Curator of Botany.

Return to Contents

FUNDING AND AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

ASPT Graduate Research Awards: See ASPT News at the beginning of this Newsletter. [Posted 17 October 2000]

NSF Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET): Special Competition in Systematic Biology (NSF 00-140). The U.S. National Science Foundation announces its Special Competition, Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET), to support competitively reviewed research projects that target groups of poorly known organisms for modern monographic research. Projects must train new taxonomists (minimally two per project) and must translate current expertise into electronic databases and other products with broad accessibility to the scientific community and the public. Projects designed for five years of effort are encouraged, with yearly budgets not to exceed $150,000 (direct plus indirect costs), or $750,000 total. Standard components of taxonomic monography — species description and diagnosis, geographic or host distributions, scientific nomenclature, identification keys, illustration — are expected in all projects; training of two students and computerization activities are also required. NSF anticipates making 10-20 awards in Fiscal Year 2001 in this Special Competition. Proposals must be submitted via the FastLane system for a 1 March 2001 deadline; please note the requirement for full electronic submission through FastLane. Information about the PEET Special Competition is available from the NSF Web site <http://www.nsf.gov> in PEET announcement NSF 00-140 <http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/nsf00140/nsf00140.htm>. For more information, contact: Dr. James E. Rodman, Program Director, Systematic Biology, Division of Environmental Biology, Room 635 National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230. Phone: 703 292-7184; fax: 703 292-9064; e-mail <jrodman@nsf.gov>. [Posted 23 October 2000]

Timothy C. Plowman Latin American Research Award: The Field Museum invites applications for the year 2001 Timothy C. Plowman Latin American Research Award. The award of $1,500 is designed to assist students and young professionals to visit the Field Museum and use our extensive economic botany and systematic collections. Individuals from Latin America and projects in the field of ethnobotany or systematics of economically important plant groups will be given priority consideration. Applicants interested in the award should submit their curriculum vitae and a detailed letter describing the project for which the award is sought. The information should be forwarded to the Timothy C. Plowman Award Committee, Department of Botany, The Field Museum, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605-2496 and received no later than 30 November 2000. Announcement of the recipient will be made no later than 31 December 2000.

2001 Lawrence Memorial Award: The Award Committee of the Lawrence Memorial Fund invites nominations for the 2001 Lawrence Memorial Award. Honoring the memory of Dr. George H. M. Lawrence, founding Director of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, the annual Award of $1,000 is given to support travel for doctoral dissertation research in systematic botany or horticulture or the history of the plant sciences, including literature and exploration. Major professors are urged to nominate outstanding doctoral students who have achieved official candidacy for their degrees and will be conductiong pertinent dissertation research that would benefit significantly from travel enabled by the award. The committee will not entertain direct applications. A student who wishes to be considered should arrange for nomination by his/her major professor; this may take the form of a letter that covers supporting materials prepared by the nominee. Supporting materials should describe briefly but clearly the candidate's program of research and how it would be significantly enhanced by travel that the award would support. Letters of nomination and supporting materials, including seconding letters, should be received by the committee no later than 1 May 2001 and should be directed to: Dr. R. W. Kiger, Hunt Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890. Phone: 412 268-2434. Posted 12 September 2000]

DESIDERATA

Wanted: Symbolanthus and Wurdackanthus

Lena Struwe would greatly appreciate duplicates of photos and/or pickled material of Symbolanthus and Wurdackanthus (Gentianaceae) for a monographic (Flora Neotropica) and phylogenetic study of this group. These genera with over 30 species in total have large and conspicuous red-pink or green-yellowish flowers and occur in the Andes (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia), Central America (Costa Rica and Panama), and on the tepuis (Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana). One species is endemic to the Lesser Antilles (Dominica, Guadeloupe, and St. Vincent) and has previously been known as Irlbachia frigida. If you have photographic slides, other materials, or information you want to share, please contact: Dr. Lena Struwe <lstruwe@nybg.org>, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics Studies, The New York Botanical Garden, 200th Strette Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458.

Return to Contents

SYMPOSIA AND MEETINGS

André Michaux International Symposium, 15-19 May 2002. Preliminary Announcement and Solicitation of Interest

A major international symposium featuring the life, works, and times of André Michaux, noted French explorer, collector, and botanist, is being planned for May 15-19, 2002. The symposium will feature various talks and academic presentations, workshops, field trips, historical re-enactments, and other activities that, altogether, should appeal to a variety of audiences. The goals of the symposium are to call attention to Michaux's important botanical contributions in North America; to place Michaux in his historical context and honor his life, work and legacy; to raise awareness of plants in the local environment; and to spark interdisciplinary studies involving France, the French language, science, gardening, botanical illustration, early American history and exploration, and geography. It is expected that the symposium proceedings will be published. The setting for this symposium is Gaston County, North Carolina, and the symposium will occur in the bicentennial year of Michaux's death. A partnership consisting of Belmont Abbey College, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, and Gaston Day School was formed to organize and promote the symposium. Major funding has been secured and other cooperators are also involved in the planning for this major event. The Southern Appalachian Botanical Society is a co-sponsor of this event.

The symposium will feature three days of talks, which may variously include keynote addresses, invited and contributed paper sessions, workshops, and panel discussions. In order to assist the planning at this stage, the André Michaux International Symposium (AMIS) organizers solicit and welcome proposals from all persons who may wish to participate in the symposium as speaker or presenter on any topic related to Michaux as outlined above, from botanical science to history to gardening and other areas. This preliminary indication of interest will permit a determination of expected participation and the development of the program outline, especially pertaining to invited and contributed paper sessions. A formal Call for Papers will be issued approximately one year before the symposium date. By 1 December 2000, please send brief paper proposals of no more than 200 words to: Michael J. Baranski, Ph.D., AMIS Program Chair, Department of Biology, Catawba College, Salisbury, NC 28144. Phone: 704 637-4442; fax: 704 637-4204; e-mail: <mbaransk@catawba.edu>. For further information on AMIS, please visit the Web site at: <http://www. michaux.org>.

Return to Contents

NEW SERIALS AND NEWS ABOUT SERIALS

Telopea is a peer-reviewed journal publishing scientific papers of international importance. It is published twice a year (in June and December) by the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. The current focus of the journal is systematic botany, including the discovery and documentation of plants and the study of their origins and relationships. The geographical focus is currently Australia, and particularly the State of New South Wales. To assist us in making Telopea even more valuable to our readers and authors, we would appreciate those interested in plant systematics completing a short questionnaire. The questionnaire is located at <http://www. rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/HTML/SCIENCE/Publications/TelopeaIntro.html> (as a pdf file - you will need to print it and complete by hand). Please note the deadline for replies is 30 November 2000.

Native Plants Journal is a new periodical, the objective of which is to provide a forum for dispersing practical information about planting and growing native plants for conservation, restoration, reforestation, landscaping, highway corridors, etc. Native Plants Journal solicits papers that are useful to and understandable by growers and planters of native plants and papers that contribute significantly to scientific literature. Therefore, contributions from scientists and workers in the field are welcome. Subscription information: Native Plants Journal, Forest Research Nursery, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-1137. E-mail <nativeplants@uidaho.edu>. Send manuscripts to: Kas Dumroese, Editor, Native Plants Journal, (same address as above), phone 208-885-3509; fax: 208-885-6226; e-mail <dumroese@uidaho.edu>. Web site <http://nativeplants.for.uidaho.edu/>.

Return to Contents

SPECIAL COURSES

Course in Tropical Botany

The University of Florida, Department of Botany, in collaboration with Fairchild Tropical Garden and the National Tropical Botanical Garden-Kampong, will offer an intensive, in-residence course on the systematics of tropical plants at both gardens in Miami, Florida, from July 1-July 29, 2001. Instructor: Dr. Walter S. Judd (Course Director, Department of Botany, 220 Bartram Hall, PO Box 118526, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8526, phone: 352-392-5135; fax: 352-392-3993; e-mail <wjudd@botany.ufl.edu>. Dr. Scott A. Zona and Dr. Gerald F. Guala, Research Scientists at F.T.G., will lecture on the Palmae and Poaceae, respectively. The Course: Tropical Botany is an intensive course of study in the biology of tropical plants. Subject matter will be largely based on the extensive holdings of tropical vascular plants at Fairchild Tropical Garden, National Tropical Botanical Garden-Kampong, and the Montgomery Botanical Institute. Field trips will be made to the Florida Everglades, the Florida Keys, Corkscrew Swamp, and adjacent natural areas. The natural vegetation of south Florida, which includes littoral and dry land habitats, mixed tropical hardwood hammocks, pinelands, and mangrove communities, will introduce students to the diversity of tropical vegetation. The object of the course is to provide advanced students and/or professionals with a detailed coverage of the systematics, diversity of structure, and economic botany of tropical vascular plants. Questions concerning the course should be addressed to Dr. Judd. Credit-hours: BOT 5685 is a five-semester- credit-hour course, offered by the Department of Botany, University of Florida. The course can be taken by nonU.F. as well as by U.F. students (graduates or advanced undergraduates). Credit can be applied to graduate or undergraduate programs at other universities. Enrollment: Limited to 12 participants, with preference given to upper-level students or professional biologists/teachers. Application: Applicants should apply by 17 April 2001 (to Dr. Judd, see address above). Applications should include the following: a letter stating reasons for taking the course, a letter of recommendation (sent separately), and a curriculum vitae. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by 8 May 2001. Accommodation: Students will be housed at a hotel near Fairchild Tropical Garden; estimated cost of room is $20 per day. Tuition: $721 (in-state students) or $2524 (out-of-state students). In addition, a course fee of ca. $220 is required to cover garden costs.

A Series of Workshops on Botanical and Ecological Subjects

The Jepson Herbarium, a Natural History Museum on the University of California Berkeley campus, offers a series of workshops on botanical and ecological subjects. The classes are designed to accomodate botanical enthusiasts ranging from beginners to specialists. A list of the courses being offered during the 2000-2001 season is at <http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/jepwkshp.html>. For more information please call Staci Markos or Betsy Ringrose at 510 643-7008 or e-mail: <smarkos@socrates. berkeley.edu>.

Return to Contents

NEWS FROM OTHER SOCIETIES

Beginning in 2000, the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries is giving an annual award to both the author and publisher of a work that makes a significant contribution to the literature of botany or horticulture. The first recepient of this award is: Native American Ethnobotany by Daniel E. Moerman, published by Timber Press, 1998, 928 pp.; ISBN 0881924539. See the Council's Web site at <http://huntbot.andrew.cmu.edu/CBHL/CBHL.html>.

Return to Contents

BOOKS RECEIVED

Information provided by L. J. Davenport, Book Review Editor. The selection of reviewers and books to be reviewed in Systematic Botany are left to the discretion of the Book Review Editor. However, members of ASPT who are interested in serving as a reviewer should contact Larry Davenport at <ljdavenp@samford.edu>.

Updated October 2000

Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Northeastern North America: A Revised and Enlarged Edition of Norman C. Fassett's A Manual of Aquatic Plants; Volume 1 - Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, and Dicotyledons; Volume 2 - Monocotyledons by Garrett E. Crow and C. Barre Hellquist. 2000. ISBN 0-299-16330-X & 16280-X. $90.00 per volume. University of Wisconsin Press. For further information <http://www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress>.

Biodiversity and Sustainable Conservation by Har Darshan Kumar. 1999. 409 pp. ISBN 1-57808-076-2. $79.50 (hbk). Science Publishers, PO Box 699, Enfield, NH 03748 <http://www.scipub.net>.

Blumea Supplement 12: Taxonomy, Phylogeny, and Biogeography of Baccaurea, Distichirhops, and Nothobaccaurea (Euphoribiaceae) by Raoul Haegens. 2000. 218 pp. ISBN 90-71236-46-3. NLG 100.00 (pbk). Nationaal Herbarium Nederland. For further information <zoelen@nhm.leidenuniv.nl, <http://nhncml. leidenuniv.nl/rhb/>.

Botanical Results of the Sessé & Mociño Expedition (1787-1803) VII: A Guide to Relevant Scientific Names of Plants by Rogers McVaugh. 2000. 626 pp. ISBN 0-913196-68-1. $55.00 (hbk). Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 <http://huntbot.andrew. cmu.edu/>.

Bromeliaceae: Profile of an Adaptive Radiation by David H. Benzing. 2000. 690 pp. ISBN 0-521-43031-3. $120.00 (hbk). Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211 <http://www.cup.org/>.

Bryophyte Biology by A. Jonathan Shaw and Bernard Goffinet (eds). 2000. 476 pp. ISBN 0-521-66794-1. $100.00 (hbk); $35.95 (pbk). Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211 <http://www.cup.org/>.

Contemporary Plant Systematics, ed. 3 by Dennis W. Woodland. 2000. 569 pp. + CD. ISBN 1-883925-25-8. $64.95 (hbk). Andrews University Press, Berrien Spring, MI. For further information <aupress@andrews.edu>, <http://www.andrews.edu/AUPress/>.

Flora of Australia Volume 17A: Proteaceae 2: Grevillea by Annette J. G. Wilson (ed.). 2000. 544 pp. ISBN 0-643-05970-9. $89.95 (hbk); $69.95 (pbk). CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia. For further information <sales@publish.csiro.au>, <http://www. publish. csiro.au/>.

Flora of Mount Rainier National Park by David Biek. 2000. 506 pp. ISBN 0-87071-470-8. $29.95 (pbk). Oregon State University Press, Corvallis. For further information contact Tom Booth <tbooth@teleport.com>, <http://osu.orst.edu/dept/press/>.

Flora Neotropica Monograph 78: Cladoniaceae by Teuvo Ahti. 2000. 362 pp. ISBN 0-89327-431-3. Price unavailable (hbk). New York Botanical Garden Press. For further information contact R. J. Lupo (718 817-8574); <http://www.nybg.org/bsci/spub/>.

Flora Neotropica Monograph 81: Buddlejaceae by Elaine Norman. 2000. 225 pp. ISBN 0-89327-437-2. Price unavailable (hbk). New York Botanical Garden Press. For further information contact R. J. Lupo (718 817-8574); <http://www.nybg.org/bsci/spub/>.

Flora of New Zealand Volume 5: Grasses by E. Edgar and H. E. Connor. 2000. 650 pp. ISBN 0-478-09331-4. $55.00 (hbk). Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln, New Zealand. For further information <http://www.landcare.cri.nz/information_services/mwpress/>.

Flora of Steens Mountain by Donald H. Mansfield. 2000. 410 pp. ISBN 0-87071-471-6. $29.95 (pbk). Oregon State University Press, Corvallis. For further information contact Tom Booth <tbooth@teleport.com>, <http://osu.orst.edu/dept/press/>.

Molecular Evolution and Adaptive Radiation by Thomas J. Givnish and Kenneth J. Sytsma (eds.). 1997. 621 pp. ISBN 0-521-77929-4. $115.00 (hbk); $39.95 (pbk). Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211 <http://www.cup.org/>.

Oxford University Series in Ecology and Evolution: The Origin, Expansion, and Demise of Plant Species by Donald A. Levin. 2000. 230 pp. ISBN 0-19-512729-3. Price unavailable (pbk). Oxford University Press, 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 <http://www.oup-usa.org/>.

Photosynthesis: A Comprehensive Treatise by A.S. Raghavendra (ed.). 2000. 376 pp. ISBN 0-521-78444-1. $120.00 (hbk); $47.95 (pbk). Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211 <http://www.cup.org/>.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Morphological Data by John J. Wiens (ed.). 2000. 220 pp. ISBN 1-56098-816-9. $26.95 (pbk). Smithsonian Institution Press. For further information contact Matt Litts <Mlitts@sipress.si.edu>, <http://www.si.edu/sipress/>.

Plant Systematics by Gurcharan Singh. 1999. 258 pp. ISBN 1-57808-077-0. $39.50 (pbk). Science Publishers, PO Box 699, Enfield, NH 03748 <http://www. scipub.net>.

Pollination Ecology and Evolution in Compositae (Asteraceae) by M.S. Mani and J.M. Saravanan. 1999. 166 pp. ISBN 1-57808-058-4. $49.50 (pbk). Science Publishers, PO Box 699, Enfield, NH 03748 <http://www. scipub.net>.

Systematics Association Special Volume Series 58: Homology and Systematics; Coding Characters for Phylogenetic Analysis by Robert Scotland and R. Toby Pennington (eds.). 2000. 217 pp. ISBN 0-748-40920-3. $65.00 (hbk). Taylor & Francis Books Ltd., London. For further information contact Nasreen Arain <Nasreen.Arain@ tandf.co.uk>, <http://www.tandf.co.uk/>.

Return to Contents

ELECTRONICALLY DISTRIBUTED PRODUCTS

Von Siebold's Botanical Treasures in Leiden — In the framework of the 400th anniversary of the relationship between Japan and the Netherlands, the Universiteit Leiden branch of the National Herbarium of the Netherlands (NHN-L) with the Expert Center for Taxonomic Identification (ETI) published a CD-ROM on the botanical collections made in Japan during the beginning of the 19th century by Von Siebold and his pupils. Philipp Franz von Siebold was active as a physician on the island Deshima in the harbor of Nagasaki between 1823 and 1829. His role in introducing western medical knowledge in Japan brought him great fame. During his stay in Japan and especially during the traditional court journey to the Shogun in Edo (the present Tokyo) he collected many plant specimens. His dried collection is one of the earliest herbarium collections of this extent from Japan, and an important source for newly described Japanese species. The dried collections are housed at the Leiden branch of the National Herbarium of the Netherlands. Von Siebold and his successors also sent living plant specimens to the Netherlands. Many of those are well known garden species now. In the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden 15 of the original specimens are still flowering. The CD-ROM gives an illustrated overview of the life and work of Von Siebold and of his botanical collection. There are images of herbarium sheets; of hand coloured plates from the Flora Japonica, issued between 1835 and 1870; of illustrated wood samples donated to Von Siebold by Mogami Tokunai; of some original water-colours of Kawahara Keiga, completed with coloured photographs of live Japanese plants of 750 species. It is the first time that an important part of Von Siebold's botanical collection has been made accessible for interested gardeners and botanists. A large part of the collection forms the base of newly described species. Moreover the CD-ROM gives information on the Universiteit Leiden branch of the National Herbarium of the Netherlands and on the Leiden Hortus Botanicus, including the Von Siebold memorial garden founded in 1990. This CD-ROM was established thanks to a grant of NWO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Dutch Organisation for Scientific Research)). The bio-informatic software was developed by the Expert Center for Taxonomic Identification (ETI) in Amsterdam. The CD-ROM is available for NLG 99 [approximately US$39] from the Publishing Department National Herbarium of the Netherlands, Universiteit Leiden branch, c/o Mrs. M. van Zoelen, PO Box 9514, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. E-mail <Zoelen@nhn.leidenuniv.nl; Web <http://nhncml.leidenuniv.nl/rhb/von_Siebold.htm>.

The Herbarium of the National School of Biological Sciences (ENCB) of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico, has made available a digitalized database of approximately 1,300 type specimens of vascular plants. The information is divided in two CDs that facilitate the search of type specimens deposited in the ENCB herbarium. The type specimens are alphabetically arranged within the family. CD 1 contains digitalized images of type specimens of vascular plants currently deposited in the ENCB herbarium. This CD also includes images of the major plant families and genera corresponding to the following plant groups: Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Monocotyledons, Dicotyledons I (Acanthaceae — Compositae). CD 2 includes images of the remainding plant families of the Dicots. For further information, comments, or to acquire the disks contact us at: Dr. Rafael Fernandez-Nava, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biologicas, Instituto Polit*cnico Nacional, Herbario ENCB, Departamento de Botanica, Apartado Postal 17-564, 11410 Mexico, D.F. e-mail <rfernan@redipn. ipn.mx>.

Return to Contents

NEW WEBSITES

There are many links on other Web sites (start with <http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/tfp/tfplinks. html>) to pages that have information applicable to plant taxonomy. On this current page, we will add new sites as they come to our attention. If you have a new or revised Web site that may be of interest to the membership of ASPT, please send the URL address to the editor of the newsletter. This section is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all sites useful to plant taxonomists. [Posted 12 September 2000]

CASSIA — The New York Botanical Garden has unveiled for public users a powerful new on-line database search engine and state-of-the-art programming that store, process, and retrieve data on the world's plant life. CASSIA, an acronym for Collection And Specimen System for Information and Analysis, benefits researchers worldwide with data retrieval that is fast, accurate, and comprehensive. The CASSIA system catalogs 400,000 herbarium specimens from the Garden's approximately 7-million-specimen herbarium in an electronic database, captures a digital image of herbarium specimens, and combines these data into a user-friendly Web page that can be accessed at <http://www.nybg.org/bsci/cass/>. Also on the site are 8,000 high-resolution images of herbarium specimens specimens included in the CASSIA system.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has launched a Web- based version of the Kew Record of Taxonomic Literature. This valuable resource lists references to all publications relating to the taxonomy of flowering plants, gymnosperms, and ferns along with references to phytogeography, nomenclature, chemotaxonomy, molecular taxonomy chromosome surveys, floras, and botanical institutions. Papers of taxonomic interest in the fields of anatomy and morphology, palynology, embryology, and reproductive biology are also included with relevant bibliographies and biographies. The database currently contains some 175,000 references published from 1971 to 2000 with new references being added once a week. The Kew Record can be accessed at <http://www.rbgkew. org.uk/kr/KRHomeExt.html>. The printed quarterly publication, ISSN 0307-2835, is available from The Stationery Office, <http://www.thestationeryoffice. com>.

Manual of Grasses for North America North of Mexico. We have developed a preliminary demonstration manual on the Web at <http://herbarium.usu.edu/demo/default.htm>. At present, only one genus (Cenchrus) is available but we shall make more available, and make the generic keys available as time permits. The main URL for the Grass Manual is <http://www. herbarium. usu.edu/GrassManual/default.htm>. — Mary Barkworth, Director, Intermountain Herbarium, Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-5305. Phone: 435-797-1584; e-mail: <Mary@biology.usu.edu>.

The database Who's Who in Biodiversity in Brazil is a product of the project Biodiversity Information Network - Brazil (BINbr). The database aims to bring individuals involved with the different aspects of biodiversity together. We ask all of you who carry out research projects concerning biodiversity in Brazil to please fill out the form available at <http://www.binbr.org.br/quem>. If the information is in Portuguese please click on the word "English" to receive the English version.

PERMIT-L is a moderated cross-disciplinary listserv hosted by the Smithsonian Institution, intended to facilitate discussion and information flow on all issues related to the rapidly changing terrain of biological collecting, permits, access, and import/export transactions. To join, send e-mail to <LISTSERV@SIVM.SI. EDU>. No subject is required. In the body, issue the command: Subscribe PERMIT-L Firstname Surname.

The University of California and Jepson Herbaria are experimenting using hyperbolic maps to display taxonomic indexes using a Web display tool from Inxight Software called SiteLens. If you have a relatively recent version of Netscape or Internet Explorer, you might try out these indexes. They use Java applets, which will take time to load at first. These displays are just taxonomic indexes, not phylogenetic trees. The URL is <http://ucjeps.herb. berkeley. edu/Jepson_hypertree.html>.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Harvard University Herbaria, and the Australian National Herbarium in Canberra have announced the Internet launch of the International Plant Names Index (IPNI). This is a database of the names and associated bibliographical details of all seed plants, a combination of the Index Kewensis, Gray Index, and the Australian Plant Names Index. It is fully searchable and freely available over the Internet. To search IPNI, and for more details of the project, see <http://www.ipni.org>.

ARTEMIS <http://www.tropicalbotany.net/> is an alternative to the classical dichotomous identification keys, relying on photographic illustrations for the explanation of concepts and taxonomic characters. ARTEMIS focuses on families and groups of related genera of woody plants (trees, shrubs, and lianas); tropical forests are of main concern, but trees of temperate forests are also identifiable. ARTEMIS makes use of nonreproductive characters, these being chosen from classical vegetative and architectural traits of the plant body. For comments, contact : Roland Keller, Institut de Botanique, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland; e-mail <roland.keller@ie-bsg.unil.ch>.

A new, fully revised directory of International Registration Authorities (IRAs) is now available at http://www.ishs.org/sci/iradirec.htm. For your information: IRAs have been in existence for over 40 years and they are set up and maintained by the International Society for Horticultural Science. There are presently 66 IRAs covering a diversity of taxonomic groups from family to species. Their prime role is to record validly published (established) cultivar names within their taxonomic group(s). They are contracted to operate with the relevant codes of nomenclature. The suite of IRA Web pages contains a great deal of information concerning the naming of cultivars and the registration process. At the heart of the pages is a list of the taxonomic groups covered; this is gradually being extended to include all groups known to contain variants which may be deemed as being cultivars. A useful feature is a pop-up glossary of terms encountered in the pages. For more information, contact: Piers Trehane, Chairman, International Society for Horticultural Science's Commission for Nomenclature and Registration; e-mail: <piers@indhort.demon. co.uk>.

Invasive Species Web Site. <Invasivespecies.gov> is a comprehensive, on-line information system that facilitates access to and exchange of invasive species data and resources by researchers, scientists, land and resource managers, public and private sector agencies, and concerned citizens. Developed in accordance with Executive Order 13112 on Invasive Species, the site is guided by the Invasive Species Council, a federal, inter-agency, executive committee that is coordinating efforts to minimize the economic, ecological, and human impacts of invasive plant and animal species in the United States. The site is at at <http://www.invasivespecies.gov>.

17th and 18th Century Herbarium Collections On-line. The Natural History Museum, London UK, has launched two new Web sites of images dedicated to the Jamaican collections of Sir Hans Sloane <http://www.nhm.ac.uk/botany/databases/sloane> and Paul Hermann's collections from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) <http://www.nhm.ac.uk/botany/databases/hermann>. These new sites enable scientists, historians, and the general public to view these collections, which are housed in bound volumes to which access is normally restricted due to their age, importance, and fragility. Both collections contain a high proportion of historically and nomenclaturally important specimens and drawings, Sloane's by association with his Natural History of Jamaica (1707-1725), and Hermann's as the basis for Carl Linnaeus' Flora Zeylanica (1747). Accompanying databases allow the specimen images to be readily correlated with these works, and more recent identifications. The work involved in preparing these sites was supported by a generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (UK) and is part of a larger programme to conserve and renovate historical plant collections and rehouse them under appropriate environmental conditions, while also increasing access to them. These new sites complement that of the Museum's John Clayton herbarium 1999. A similar site, dedicated to George Clifford's herbarium, will be launched later this year.

Return to Contents

Return to Current News